


life lessons

by shuyiin



Category: Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-11 16:56:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4444313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuyiin/pseuds/shuyiin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>living & learning in Besaid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A request for a post X-2 fic was made, so I did my best. c: I'd say this is about 2 and a half or so months after the Perfect Ending?
> 
> { 10/16/16 update: many of these drabbles are very old & there are a lot of things about them I don't love, but I cant bring myself to get rid of this fic, because the world needs more tiyu fluff! so I hope you enjoy them, even though they're very far from perfect. }

Her boots crunched on the gravel of the path that led out of town. The noise seemed to be entertaining the baby in her arms, who was watching each step with intent eyes. Lulu had sternly told her that it was important to his development that he be spoken to, even though he was far too young to reply, and so Yuna narrated their walk, pointing out any colorful fauna or interesting wildlife she saw on the way. She didn’t know where they were going, but she had a feeling they would find who they were looking for somewhere along the road to the beach, if not the ocean itself. She was right to guess so.   
  
Tidus was perched atop the short but sturdy fence, an intricately woven piece of greenery in hand. He was staring down at it in concentration, and Wakka was looming over him, saying something she was too far away to hear. Finally, the larger man jabbed a finger into the middle of it, and the organic wires came undone, bursting apart. Wakka fell into hysterics at the sight of Tidus’ astonished, and slightly disheartened face. Yuna felt a curious joy when she recognized the materials they were working with; it was a plant native only to Besaid,what the fishermen used to catch their game. Kilika, Luca, Bevelle… they all did the work their own way, but the woven basket was unique to the island. Wakka was showing him how to make a net, the kind that only the locals knew how to use. It was the picture of Besaid living, the two of them there, and the sight of it warmed her heart.   
  
As they neared, the voices got louder, and Vidina gave a cry of excitement when he recognized one very familiar laugh. The two looked up to see who was approaching, and broke into matching grins– though, they were probably inspired, respectively, by two different people. Not that they didn’t both love Yuna  _and_ Vidina, but their seperate new and exciting relationships took precedence at the moment.  
  
Cerulean eyes gleamed at her as she came to stand in front of him. “Hey! I thought you were hanging out with Lulu today. What are you doing out here?” Wakka placed a palm atop his son’s head, ruffling matching hair, and Tidus seemed to just then become fully aware of Yuna’s small companion. “You too, Wakka Jr.”  
  
“I offered to take him for a walk. Lulu looked like she could use the rest.”  
  
Wakka snorted, but said nothing. Tidus looked surprised. “Really? That bad?” He had only seen Lulu look anything less than impeccable a few times, and it had always been because of something very serious. Babies must be pretty rough, if they could ruffle even Lulu.  
  
“Well, he’s been perfectly sweet for me,” Yuna cooed, giving him a playful bounce.  
  
“That’s how it is! Someone else watches ‘im and he’s a perfect angel. But as soon as he comes back home, he’s a nightmare! He’s devious, I’m tellin’ you!” Devious or not, Wakka plucked the baby from her arms, and sad as she was to let him go… he and Wakka were so adorable together that she really couldn’t complain.  
  
Vidina was enterained by the silly faces Wakka made for awhile, as was everyone else, but eventually he turned his attention to whatever was in Tidus’ hands. Yuna examined it, too. “You’re making nets?”  
  
He looked down at the pathetic thing, mildly embarassed, and then back up at her to reply… but Wakka beat him to it. “Yeah. I thought I oughta teach him to pull his own weight around here and stop bein’ such a freeloader– maybe catch a fish or two for you to cook. You know instead a’stealin’ all of mine! But with this sad little thing…” He shook his head, as if disappointed in his student. Not satisfied to just look, Vidina had reached out a tiny hand to touch the weave, and Tidus willingly handed it over. It’s not like a net with a giant hole was any use to him, or anyone else.   
  
“Gimme a break. It’s my first one!” Vidina appraised it with his mouth. If gnawing meant approval, Tidus must have done good. “Look, he likes it. Thanks, Vidina!“  
  
“Pfft! Vidina could do a better job than you, brudda, and he’s not even three months old.” As if to agree with his father, the infant unhinged his bite and unclenched his new teething toy, dropping it to the ground, rejected. “See, he knows what I’m talkin’ about!”  
  
“Yeah, well you know what? Maybe you could stand to eat a few less fish, tubby!”  
  
“Hey, this is sympathy weight, ya? For Lu! Pregnancy is no joke!”  
  
Yuna chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Those two could be hard on each other sometimes, but it was all in good fun. When it came down to it, they were infinitely supportive of one another. She extended her arms to take Vidina back, satisfied with their trip now that she’d seen what the boys were up to. But Wakka shook his head.“Nah, it’s alright. I’ll take him home. The sun’s gonna go down soon. Gotta get home before Lu yells at me some more.” He lifted the boy high above bis head and was rewarded with a toothless smile. He was too enamored with his son to pay much more attention to the young couple, and so, after Yuna gave a kiss to Vidina’s chubby cheek and Tidus a careful pat to his head, Wakka set off back towards the town. He talked boisterously the entire way. She had never seen him happier, and Lulu would be pleased to see her son absorbing knowledge through her father’s one sided rapport. Their little family made her smile, a big, wide smile…   
  
…which grew larger when she felt a hand slip into hers. Her vision was replaced with the view of another smiling face, only a few inches from her own. “Hi.” She giggled, returning the simple greeting, and not moving away. Which surprised him, a little, because Yuna usually shied away from anything resembling PDA. (Even holding hands was a stretch.) Not that there was anyone else around, but in a tiny place like Besaid, just about everything was public. He searched her eyes for a moment, and when she didn’t budge, he took that as a sign that it was okay– pulling her into a warm hug. She curled closer into him, sighing happily against his chest, and (kind of embarassingly) his heart skipped a beat. So, maybe it hadn’t been ridiculous that he had missed her. Based on her behavior, she seemed to have felt the same.   
  
It had only been hours since they’d seen each other, twelve at most, but (excluding sleep) it was the longest they’d been apart since he’d returned. And it felt weird not being together. Really weird. Everything about Besaid was slowly becoming home to him, but… mostly it was this…  _her_.   
  
But the embrace didn’t last nearly long enough before she pulled away, cheeks pink. “It will get easier.“  
  
He tilted his head, trying to connect the dots, but nothing came. “Huh?”  
  
“These.” She picked up a unused palm frond from off the fence and showed it to him, smiling softly, in that comforting way she did. He had to laugh. He was pitiful enough to earn one of  _those_ smiles?   
  
“Oh– that?” He kicked at the net that Vidina had so cruelly discarded, trying to sound completely nonplussed. “Yeah, well, it’s nothin’. Wakka was just tryin’ to show it to me so he could get out of doing them himself. He’s just lazy!” But maybe it did bother him, a little. Just a little. There were so many things in Spira that came so naturally to everyone else, passed on from generation to generation, effortless. But they felt impossible to him. He wasn’t used to not being  _good_ at things. That hadn’t happened to him since he was a kid, just a scrawny little thing that Jecht liked to tease for every failure.   
  
He wasn’t fooling anyone with his light-hearted reply, but she didn’t call him out on it. She twirled the frond in her hand, examining it. Smooth and sturdy but frail in some ways, too. Like Besaid, she thought. “I had to learn a lot of things when I came here. I didn’t even know how to swim, to tell the truth! I remember… all the children thought I was the strangest thing they’d ever seen– a girl who didn’t know how to swim! That was unheard of in Besaid,“ she laughed.

Yuna had a way of talking about the past, and he liked it. It was always interesting to hear, to learn more about Spira, and her… but he never really knew what to say. She had so many memories, and most of them were good, even though, for many of them, she already knew her doomed fate. He just… couldn’t relate to that. So he aimed to joke instead, hands enclosing around hers. “Well… you  _are_ pretty strange, ya know.”

She gave him a small shove and a laugh. At least she’d distracted him, maybe. “I wonder…” She wondered, but she stopped herself from speaking the thought aloud. She was afraid… that he wouldn’t want to think about it. Maybe it was too painful to remember…

“You wonder what?”

“N-nevermind.”

She shook her head, but he wasn’t relenting. “Hey! Ya can’t do that!” He tugged on her hands, and when that didn’t work, moved to her beaded earring. “You gotta tell me now! You can’t just leave me hanging!” She gave him a woeful, pouty look, but he was smiling. She didn’t want to be the reason that smile fell. Maybe she could lie, but…  **no**. That’s not what he would want.

“I was wondering… what I would have to learn if I went to your Zanarkand.”

“…oh.” At first, she thought she’d done exactly what she hadn’t wanted to do. But then, his smile returned, and even brighter. “Well, all the good stuff– the fun stuff– happens after dark. So, first of all, you’d have to learn to stay up past nine o clock!”

“H-hey! Are you making fun of me?“

“What? No way!” An amused smirk in place, he turned away, avoiding her pouting face and the hands on her hips. If he looked directly at her, he would either laugh or cave. “A- anyway! You’d have to learn how to use all sorts of machina– uh,  _machines_ , too. There was a machine for, like, everything. Anything you can think of doing, there was probably a machine that could do it twice a good as you!”

Her attempt at intimidation fell, though it had hardy been anything but cute in the first place. She seemed almost in disbelief, curiosity in her eyes. “Really?”

“Yep. For cooking, traveling, answering questions, you name it.”

“Wow… life must have been much easier then…”

He nodded, then moved back to lean against the fence, looking pensive. “Yeah. But you know what? I think I like it this way. It’s hard, but… when you do something, you feel like you earned it…” He looked at his hands, already rough from work, and he’d only been back a few months. Besaid had seemed like a peaceful, carefree place before, lazy living, but now he realized everyone here was tough as nails. There was always something to be done. They caught their own food, cooked all of it by hand, built their own homes, boats, furniture, everything. Of course, one person didn’t do it all, but everything came from someone in the community. Everyone had to pitch in to keep the place running. The reason it must have looked so easy was because everyone just carried on and did it with no complaints. A lot of them even enjoyed the work, and weirdly, he found he kinda did, too. “It’s nice…”

“Mm. It is. Besaid is wonderful that way.” Bevelle hadn’t been the same, at least, not that she remembered. She supposed the bigger your community became, the harder it was to sustain it with cooperation and hard work alone. With the influx of machines that Spira was receiving, and the growing population… she wondered if Besaid would begin to change, too. It was already quite different than just three years before. She  _liked_ those changes, but still…“I hope it stays like this…”

He watched the worry grow in her face, and edged nearer again, off the fence. “It will! As long as you’re here– you, and Wakka and Lulu. No matter what the elders think, it’s pretty much you guys who run the place.” And he knew for a fact none of those three were going anywhere. Even Lulu loved Besaid, though she rarely showed it.

Yuna shook her head, probably at his subtle jab at the towns’ bossy, judgey old folks, who still believed in the ways of Yevon and strictly enforced traditional codes. But she was smiling. No matter how humble she remained, she knew that what he said was true. What the High Summoner and her legendary guardians said were what goes. She didn’t  _want_ to be thought of like that– she wanted to be just a regular resident– but it couldn’t be helped. Fame was the price she paid for saving the world. But it had brought her many gifts, too… she met his eyes, her voice taking on a shy tone. “You, too. The villagers look up to you, as well.”

“ _Me_? Yeah, right! They all still think I’m crazy!”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t like you…” Her look was pointed, as if to say it was exactly how she felt.

“Hey!”

She fell into giggles, then turned to face the other direction, gazing at the slowly setting sun. Hands clasped behind her back, she took on a quiet, serious tone. “It’s true, you know. Everyone’s… really glad that you’re here. That you made a home, with us.”

He smiled to himself, a warm, honeyed feeling flooding through him. She spoke for the whole village, but he was pretty sure he understood what she was trying to say.  _She_ was glad. And while acceptance from the city as a whole was nice… and being taken into her little makeshift family with Wakka and Lulu meant more than he could put into words… what he really wanted, more than anything, was for Yuna to be happy. Him being happy beside her was just a bonus, but he was definitely raking it in right now.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not going anywhere.” He stepped forward, close enough to her that the familiar mingling scents of island wildflower and temple incense tickled his nose. Even if he was useless here, unable to construct a decent net to save his life, and uncomprehending of the weird, primitive tools they used for their work… he had a more important job. He was her guardian, but after her adventures, she didn’t really need his sword. What he could do, instead, was guard her smile.

“Hey, guess what else you’d have to learn if you were in Zanarkand?”

She bent her neck towards the voice behind her. “Hm?” Eyes widened when his lip met hers, then slowly closed, enjoying this quiet moment all of their own. Soft, and meaningful, she couldn’t find it in her to pull away from his attention, pressing closer still. Besides, it’s not like anyone was looking…

When he left, she blinked in the stunned way she sometimes did when their kisses were over. It still felt almost unreal, too good to be true… but she knew that it wasn’t. He was really, really here.

“You gotta learn to stop caring what everyone else thinks– that’s what!” Bold words, for someone who laughed and then bolted, running away to escape her wrath. She regained full consciousness immediately, and spotted something in the corner of her eye– the opposite corner from where he was headed… two of the village elders were standing on the path, apparently taking a stroll. One had a blank, unreadable expression, but the sheer power of the disapproving frown on the others’ face could have killed a weaker woman on the spot. Yuna didn’t know if it were physically possible for her cheeks to be redder.

But instead of her usual profuse apologies… she simply waved, offering them a friendly smile. Maybe he was right, after all. If he was going to be here forever, then they were going to have to get used to it… she felt more and more affection for him every day. If she couldn’t contain it, was that really such a bad thing…?

But, whether he was right or not, that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to get him back for this. Taking off after him down the path, she did not see the stunned faces of the elders slowly morphing into happy smiles. Despite their reluctance to let her go, they were pleased to see the young woman their High Summoner had grown into. Growing up, and yet embracing the life she had sacrificed for them. The two youths were the light of Besaid, the sun and the moon, shining down on the bright path of Spira’s future, showing them the way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never intended to make this a series, but this little plot bunny I had didn’t really feel substantial enough to be posted on it’s own, so I’m just gonna throw it in with another drabble! :d It's more gen than fluff, really!
> 
> This one takes place after Last Mission, so a little more than 3 months after the ending of X-2. Warning: some things probably won’t make sense unless you have played or watched Last Mission, but not really any important things.

Tidus was the last of the Auroch’s to remain on Besaid’s beach, practice having concluded hours ago. Not that it had been much of a practice to begin with. It was winter in Besaid, and while their winters were considered unseasonably warm and more than tolerable to the rest of Spira, it was not so for the islanders who knew nothing else. To the locals, the chilly water and crisp breeze was unbearably cold. Practice could have been more accurately described as glorified social hour, but nobody complained. After months of hard labor, working on Yuna’s hut, the men felt they’d earned a little break.

Hers was larger than most, and she had put up a fight to keep it conservative, nothing too extravagant. If it had been up to the village, they would have constructed a mansion of silver and gold, but Yuna insisted on having nothing more than ordinary. It was hard enough for her to accept their generous offer to build her a home for free, but that in itself wasn’t unheard of among the island. All the homes in Besaid were made by the locals, and most of them were done so with cooperation of the entire village, banding together to get it done. Normally, it took longer than three months, but when she left on a sudden and urgent mission, the village had been determined to give her a real home to return to, working harder than ever to complete their task. In their eyes, it was the least they could do for her. Not only was Yuna a dear, beloved friend of everyone in the village, she was also their savior. They believed in their hearts that she deserved this, and much more.

Tidus agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment, but that hadn’t made the task any less laborious. He had never worked so hard in his life, not even during the pilgrimage. But the rest of the team was busting their butt for Yuna, and so he would do his part. What kind of team mate, let alone boyfriend, would he be if he didn’t? Even if it meant never wanting to touch a hammer again in his life…

But Yuna’s home really was a much needed addition. For years, she had been living in the same tiny quarters that the temple had afforded her. She’d made the room cozy and livable and all her own, especially after the Calm began, but it was still… just a room. Not even one bedroom apartments in Zanarkand were that pathetically small. She had a bed, a nightstand, a bookshelf, a trunk… and that was pretty much it. He didn’t know how she put up with it for so long…

Except, he did. Because it was Yuna and she could make the best of living in a cardboard box. She hardly ever complained; she was humble and grateful for everything she had, even when she deserved so much more. She was… amazing like that.

Unaware of the suddenly dopey smile on his face, he continued practicing absentmindedly, knowing full well that his reason for being on the beach no longer had anything to do with blitzball. As if on cue, the ferry from Luca appeared on the horizon, making it’s way through the water at an agonizingly slow pace, in his opinion. After she left on her mission, she had checked in at Luca to let him know she’d arrived, and then there were several days of nothing, no contact, until she’d finally buzzed in on the commsphere and announced she was coming home. Today was the day her ferry should arrive, and thus he’d spent every hour since waking on the beach, unable to stop staring out at the ocean, looking for her ship. It had arrived later than expected, but it was here, and that’s what mattered.

Grinning, he abandoned his blitzball in the sand and ran to the docks, waiting impatiently for the passengers to unload off the boat. People filed off, most of them residents, who waved at Tidus, eyes glinting knowingly. (Of course he would be here, waiting for her.) When the parade of arrivals had cleared out, and still no Yuna, he peered curiously up the ramp, looking for her. One last group remained. Four unfamiliar faces… and Yuna. Chatting away with a friendly smile, she began to lead them off the boat. He squinted, trying to make sense of the delay. Who were they? Did they have something to do with the mysterious letter she’d received, the one that spurred her mission? 

When she noticed him, she looked surprised, but quickly smiled, walking faster to meet him. “Tidus! You didn’t have to wait here. In this weather, you’ll catch a cold!” She admonished him lightly, but she couldn’t hide the delight in her eyes. She was happy to see him, and touched that he had come to greet her. 

He shook his head, smiling. “It’s not that bad. This is nothing!” It was true that Zanarkand had seen much more severe winters, with its’ Northern location, but spending hours outdoors with only a light jacket was starting to get to him, mild winter or not. Admittedly, he was cold, but if she was worried about it, she could warm him up, right? Before he could put the sneaky thought into action, she turned and motioned to the others.

“We have some visitors to the island. They’ve never set foot in Besaid before!” Suddenly, he understood why she had been delayed. Yuna always took time to greet every tourist, and made sure they had a pleasant stay. 

“Oh, yeah? You guys not a fan of crowds? Most people come in spring or summer, when the waters still warm.” 

“We’re from Bevelle. We wanted a break from the snowstorms. A little cold water won’t bother us.” A woman piped up, and Yuna nodded understandingly, reminiscing on her few memories of winters in Bevelle. Tidus blinked while she went on to engage in small talk with the group, zoning out and trying to resist the urge to shiver. Why did he have to be in love with the most polite girl in the world…? Finally, the tourists made off with a wave, and Yuna’s adamant assurances to come see her anytime. Tidus nodded in agreement, waving in farewell. When they were out of earshot, he turned to her.

“Okay, I lied. I’m freezing. Can we go now?”

Yuna laughed, reached for his gloved hand with one of her own, and began walking towards the village. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long, but…” 

“It’s okay, nothing to apologize for. Let’s just go home.” A smirk lifted a corner of his lips. Little did she know she would have an _actual_ home to go to, now.

“I’ll brew something warm when we get there!” 

With a nod of approval, he tugged on her hand to move faster, suddenly excited to show her what everyone had worked so hard on. They walked quietly, Yuna leaning her head against his shoulder peacefully, when the memory that she had just returned from a strange, mysterious mission hit him.

“Oh, hey! So how was it? Who sent the letter? You kinda freaked everyone out when you didn’t say anything for days, ya know?” _Kinda_ was an understatement. But Lulu had assured everyone that Yuna was grown up and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. After all, she had run off into the night without so much as a word when she had joined the Gullwings. Reluctantly, they’d all agreed to give it some time before panicking. He had intially been wary about her going alone at all, but Yuna had asked him to trust her… and so he did. 

“Well… it’s kind of a funny story, actually. When I got to Luca, it seemed that Rikku and Paine were invited, too. It was a nice surprise, the three of us, going on an adventure again! But then… as it turns out, Paine was the one who arranged everything!”

“Wait… what?” 

“She set up the mission! She asked us all to meet, and to search for a special sphere, but there really wasn’t anything at Yadanoki tower at all.”

“So, she tricked you? But… _why?_ ”

“It wasn’t a trick. It was... she was right to do it. We needed it. She didn’t want us to forget each other. The mission… it reminded all of us that we need to cherish one another. No matter how busy we are, or what differences we may have. She helped us, you see? If she hadn’t called us to meet that day, we might have lost each other forever…”

“Hm… yeah, I guess that makes sense. You guys hadn’t really kept in touch, huh? But maybe next time she should try calling on the commsphere first, or, you know, send a letter! That works too, you know.” He was joking, and he earned a shove for it, but she smiled.

“Well, I had fun!” She chose not to dwell on some of the less fun parts of their journey. In the end, it had all been worth it. “And we agreed that we’ll arrange a mission at least once a month! Even if that mission is only to go shopping together,” she giggled. 

“Ah. Well, that’s cool…” It was, and he was glad she was happy, but… spending days apart again? He was going to have to get used to that. He definitely didn’t have as much fun as she seemed to.

“So, what did you do?”

“Ah, you know… well, hey, you’re about to find out!” In all the catching up, they’d gotten ever closer to the location of her hut, though it could scarcely be called a hut now. “C'mere!” He led her down a different path, veering away from the town center, closer to the beach, but still nestled in the vibrant trees. They passed a few homes on the way, but this strip of land was fairly uninhabited. Privacy… a rare treat in the tiny island of Besaid. “We gotta surprise for you!”

He swooped behind her to place his hands over her eyes, and she walked slowly, humoring him for this game, even though she recognized the trail, knew it was nearing the lot of land they had cleared for her. Even knowing she was far too familiar with Besaid not to know where she was headed, he did it anyway– just for fun. 

Blindly trudging, she stumbled over the occasional loose twig, but he was always there to catch her. Laughing at her clumsiness, they weaved their way to the house. It was a silly moment, but she cherished these. Her giggles dying down, she sighed happily. Being fairly sure of where they were going… she thought this was a good time to ask the question that had been brewing ever since the villagers had begun construction…

But she couldn’t get the words out. It was a big thing to ask of him, a question that denoted a serious intention, and came with consequences. It could change their relationship forever– their lives, even, maybe…

Her quiet pondering was interrupted by his sudden halt. “Okay, you ready?”

“Tidus… I wanted to ask…”

“Yuna! We’re _here_! It can wait, right?” He lifted his hands from her eyes, gazing proudly at the home first. And then, met with only silence, glanced over at her nervously.

“…hey… Yuna… we did okay, right?”

She stared wordlessly at the building, looking it up and down as if in awe. “Oh… I…” Her gaze was glued forward, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw him leaning over her shoulder, examining her expression for a sign of approval. Trying to gather her thoughts, her answer came out in a gasp. “It’s beautiful.”

Satisfied with that reply, he smiled, placing his arms around her, and leaning his chin against her shoulder to admire the view. “Yeah. We’ve been working like crazy to finish it for you, but it was worth it. Now you don’t have to sleep in that musty old temple anymore.”

Still in somewhat of a daze, she stepped forward, entering, and he followed suit, though he lingered at the door. He’d been inside, of course, but now that it was really _hers_ , it felt strange to go in without being invited. She looked around the spacious quarters, examining every nook and cranny, unable to find the words to give the praise it deserved. “How can I thank everyone for this? It’s so much more than I ever dreamed of...” Her voice echoed in the emptiness, but in such a different way than it did in the temple.

“Yuna… nobody wants you to thank them. They’re thanking _you_. After everything you did… you earned it.”

There was so much more she could say. She could have argued that, but what was the point? She was just… lucky. So many people cared about her, enough to gift her with this. What could she do but be overjoyed? Eyes misty with gratitude, she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around him. They stood together for a long moment, and it occurred to her how right it felt. Together, here… “And what about you?”

“Um... me?” He was obviously confused. 

“You didn’t let me ask my question, remember?”

“Oh– right! What’s up?”

She drew away from him, a hand poised under the delicate necklace she always wore, a nervous habit. “Well… it isn’t fair, is it? You sacrificed a lot, too. I may have only had a room in the temple, but isn't that better than a bed in the Lodge?”

The words took a moment to sink in before he realized she was referring to his own living arrangement. Wakka and Lulu kept what very few belongings he had in their home, but since Vidina had been born, there was no extra space for him to sleep there. He had spent his nights sleeping in the Crusaders lodge. It wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t mind. He found that it was much easier to be grateful for the little things when you’d faced your own end. Death… it kind of put things into perspective. Was that why Yuna was so positive?

“Well, yeah, but… I’m okay. When the season starts up, we’ll win some gil for sure, and I’ll have enough to get my own place in no time! Don’t worry about me, Yuna! You earned this, okay? Just enjoy it.” 

She frowned, and shook her head. He didn’t get it, did he? “It’s a wonderful gift, but… it’s more room than I could possibly need…” 

“Ya think so? I don’t know... it’s not _that_ big. You just need more stuff to fill it out! Like, you could get a couch, and a spherecast… hey, a bed that’s not Tobli sized!” His imagination was cut off by her sigh, realizing that something was bothering her. Tilting his head at her in confusion, he noted a little frustration on her face. “Yuna…?” 

“That isn’t what I mean!” Tidus was admirably forward and honest, but that meant subtly was sometimes lost on him. She had been hoping this would not be one of those times, but it was in vain. Working up the courage to say what she meant, she shook her head. “Do you think… would it be a bad idea… if you lived here, too?”

“Ah– _oh_ …” _**Duh.**_ It hit him that she’d meant to say so all along. His cheeks burned a little, half at the idea of living together and the rest for how long it took him to understand. The answer was a no brainer. “No–” Hands rose in protest, seeing her taken aback expression, and regretting his choice of words. She had quickly tried to hide the hurt in her expression, opening her mouth to say something, probably an apology. “No, no! I mean, it’s not a bad idea!”

Relief visibly flooded her, and then laughter. “Oh!”

“Y- yeah, yeah. My bad. But it was your question!” He laughed, too, both feeling awkward and nervous, but… giddy. Were those butterflies in his stomach? They were definitely butterflies. How… embarrassing. But nice, though. Definitely nice. “Um… but... you’re really sure? I mean… you really want to? You don’t have to, just ‘cause–”

Abandoning her passive shyness for the new, bold Yuna that sometimes shone through, she interrupted. “I know. I don’t have to, but I want to.” Her words were sure, but her smile was soft.

His, in contrast, were shaky. He was certain of this, but it was completely new. Living with someone was… pretty serious stuff, right? “Okay… good. Me, too…”

It was her turn to be uncertain, eyebrows furrowing. “If it’s too much, I won’t be upset–”

“No, no– I really…” He took a deep breath, steadied himself. It’s not as if he hadn’t though about it. It was impossible not to when he had spent so much time here. He’d wondered what it’d be like to share this place, more than once. He just hadn’t thought it’d be happening so soon. But it wasn’t a bad thing. Not at all. No more separating every night, counting down the hours until he saw her again. He’d get to see her in the morning, unguarded and completely her silly self, like those few times she’d stayed up with him until she was she was too sleepy to save face. Walls to keep away the prying eyes, greedy ears; he could kiss her all he wanted. He grinned, any fears he had long gone. “I want to, Yuna. It’s gonna be great. I promise.”

She answered with a warm smile to match his own, reaching to hold his hand, leading him out of the doorway, into the open space, the house and the love they shared.

“ _Welcome home._ ”

–

By nightfall, the place had become surprisingly homey for being so empty. Only a few pieces of furniture and decor could be procured within the day, but it was enough that it was all beginning to feel _real_. Like they were really doing this. With a plan to head to Luca in the morning to shop for the rest, they agreed it was finally time to sleep. Putting off the awkward question of who was sleeping where, Tidus occupied himself with constructing a makeshift bed out off a mass of blankets and pillows. Half of the pile of sheets had been placed down, and the other half…? Well, he wasn’t sure where they were going. Another room, perhaps? Or... were they all for one bed? What would Yuna want...?

She was elsewhere, placing the kitchenware in cabinets, humming to herself as she did so. The quiet comfort came naturally to her, but she still blushed when he snuck around the corner, catching her in her jaunty tune.

“That the song from your concert?”

“Oh, no! This is the one LeBlanc sang.”

“Oh, right– the crazy lady who was pretending to be you.“ He laughed, leaning against the doorway to watch her. He thought it best to let her handle the placement of utensils and cookware. After all, he was pretty useless in the kitchen. He probably wouldn’t be making much use of them. But maybe he should learn…? That wasn’t really fair to Yuna, was it?

“Mm, I wouldn’t say _crazy_ … well, okay, but only a little!”

“If she’s not crazy, then why steal your identity? Jealous, much?”

“I suppose... but why would she be jealous of _me_?”

Her thought was punctuated by a big yawn, and Tidus could only smile and shake his head. She really didn’t get how great she was, did she? He took the plate in her hands from the sleepy brunette. “Hey, I can finish up here. The bed’s made, so you’re good to go.“ She turned to face him, eyes locked on his, as if she were considering what to say. But she lost her train of thought, a sweet kiss to her cheek and a smile from him momentarily turning her brain to mush and sending her heart into a frenzy. She nodded, smiling back, and turned to the bedroom where he’d assembled a cot on the floor, just like the old days. To think that they would go from the long nights camping on the pilgrimage to… this. Domestic bliss. Before she turned the corner to the bedroom, she looked back, a happy glint in her eye. “Tidus?”

“Yeah?”

 _I love you_ , was what she planned to say. But instead, the comfy looking mattress of sheets caught her eye. Specifically, the quantity of it. “There’s only one bed?” She blurted, unthinking.

Looking quite like a man accused of murder, he plead his innocence with hands raised in apology. “Wait– I didn’t mean– I was gonna make another one out here!” 

Yuna shook her head, almost as panicked as he was. “No, no, I– I’m sorry. It’s… it’s okay.” She hadn’t meant to sound so panicked in the first place. She was just… surprised. They had been so busy that the thought of sleeping arrangements hadn’t occurred to her until now.

“No, really, there’s more blankets, see–” His desperate plea was cut off by her laugh. A head tilt of confusion, and he watched her smile, shyly.

“No, please. I was being silly. Of course there’s only one bed.”

“Yeah, but… there doesn’t have to be. There’s other bedrooms, or, if you’re gonna use those for something, there’s still a couch. You don’t have to…” he stopped when she put her hands on her hips, a pouty frown on her face. He knew that look. That look meant _‘stop arguing’_. “Okay, okay… you’re sure? I don’t mind–”

Putting on her best Lulu impression, she shushed him, but not without a playful smile. “I’m sure. I want to share.”

Heart beating at a rate that had to be dangerously high, he could only nod. He swallowed, feeling a mixture of relief and disbelief. He dealt with the ensuing mess of feelings in one of the only ways he knew how: by laughing. "Right… okay… but if she asks, you’re telling Lulu it was your idea! She’ll kill me if she thinks I suggested it!“

"But… you did, didn’t you? You put the bed down. The only bed…” Her smile was pure evil. Did she learn that from Rikku or Paine? Or maybe it was always there; she’d just been hiding it. 

“Yuna, c'mon, that’s not funny! She’s scary! She’s looking for a reason to firaga me and you know it!” 

She shook her head at him as if ashamed of his misdeeds, disappearing into the bedroom in a fit of giggles. It wasn't lot before he followed, with a smile of his own.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm archiving some old drabbles from my tumblr, and this is another one that I thought fit in well enough with this group of one-shots, and didn't really need to be a stand alone piece, soooo... just throwin' it in with these two! :p

It was with an exhausted huff that he flopped onto the wicker couch, the cushions accepting him with a firmness that he hadn’t expected. He had forgotten what 'new’ felt like. Everything in Besaid was old and worn and long since broken in, and it had taken a lot for him to convince Yuna not to carry on that tradition by simply adopting someone else’s used furniture. The calm was here, and times were changing, and… they were changing. If anytime was the time for new, it was now. 

But after a long day moving in and placing finishing touches in their new hut, he had to admit he missed the feathery softness of a old couch. Rarely was the active young man so sorely worn out, but today had been more than laborious. Yet, somehow, Yuna seemed perfectly energized, darting around the place to adjust this and that– tittering quietly about a slightly askew photo frame, or a missing teacup. She was… excited, he guessed. Or maybe nervous. Either way, it made him smile.

He closed his eyes to sink into the couch, lost in thought. How long ago had they met? Two and a half years or so? That was an approximation– it was probably longer. But who was counting? (Yuna probably was. He would have to get used to remembering details that most people might forget, because she remembered everything.) Back then, if someone would have asked him where he pictured himself in two years, 'moving in with the girl I love and hopefully never ever leaving’ (the truth, at present) would be the furthest thing from his mind. Not at nineteen. It sounded so soon, like such a waste of youth and freedom. Settling down had never been part of his agenda, especially not so quickly. But that was before he met her…

But, even after the 'falling head over heels’ part, he had his share of doubts. When he found out her fate, no matter how resolved he was to save her, somehow he knew that their story wasn’t– couldn’t– end with a neat happily ever after and a little bow on top. It just wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t know why he knew, but he just did. And his bad feeling had been justified, though it turned out to be the fault of his own fate, not hers. But somehow, he was back, against all odds. What once seemed undesirable and unlikely, and what later seemed too good to be true and impossible… he was living it. He was alive, and living with her…

“You look deep in thought…” 

His eyes shot open at the sound of her voice: pleasant, but a little concerned. “Is everything alright?” The weight on the couch shifted as she took a careful seat, avoiding his feet. He only then realized his shoes were on the couch. oops. Wasn’t that, like, a major etiquette thing? Unlike Lulu, she hadn’t bit his head off about it, or even shot a woeful, telling glance at him. It made him wonder what kind of housemate she was going to be… neat and tidy, everything in it’s place? Or would the perfect and composed High Summoner of Spira surprise him by making messes? 

Actually, that wouldn’t surprise him at all. He knew her better than that. Sitting up, he shook his head to dispel her worry. "Yeah! Everything’s great. I was just thinking about stuff…“ He paused, briefly wondering if he should go on, but the curiosity on her face gave him the go ahead. "It kinda just hit me, I guess. We have our own place. Like… together. It’s… a weird feeling. Not a bad one! But weird.”

She tilted her head, not seeming to follow. His attempt to make her stop worrying was looking like it was slowly backfiring, her eyes creasing in heavy thought. “Is it… too fast? We don’t have to, you know. I–”

“No, no–!” His heart dropped in an instant, guilt flooding him for giving her the completely wrong idea. He shot forward to stop her, his hand reaching for hers. “That’s not what I mean!” The contact seemed to calm her, if not his panicked words. His fingers laced with hers, eyes falling to look at their joined digits. “I just mean– it’s so… normal. And everything was so crazy, with the pilgrimage. It was so intense all the time. 'Kinda hard to imagine ever going back to this. I… never really thought we'd end up here. That’s all.” He raised to meet her gaze, smiling lightly as he posed his question playfully. “Did you?" 

She gave a small hum of a laugh, understanding the absurdity now. ”…no. I suppose I didn’t… “ To think she had once prepared for her death. She’d also prepared for a wedding, but not to him. And yet… even after that…. no matter how hopeless it had seemed… "But I did _hope_ so. I knew it was silly, but still, I wished very hard that we would.” The sincerity in her voice reached her eyes, sending a wave of embarrassment through her, and she pointed reddening cheeks to the floor. “That’s not strange, is it?”

The weight of her confession reached him despite her insecurity, a sort of warmth flooding him that he only ever seemed to feel in her presence. Overwhelmed by it, he didn’t know what else to do; he drew her to him, brushing her lips. With gentle movements, the caress of his mouth said everything he didn’t know how to say.

She pulled away shyly, her cheeks still pink, but upturned with a smile. “I hope it was a good surprise…”

He blinked. Still in a haze (from her words and her kiss and everything about her), he was unsure what she meant. “Huh–?”“

"The two of us, being together like this…”

“Oh– that!” She laughed then, and it made him laugh too, though he didn’t know why. “Yeah… it’s a good one.” Pulling her to him, he fell back into the sofa, dragging her with him, and paying no mind to the unyielding cushions this time. She was all the comfort he needed. Nuzzling against her to hear her soft laughter again, it became less and less clear how he could have ever imagined– ever wanted– any future but this. “Nah– the best surprise.”


	4. Chapter 4

Yuna was an early riser; Tidus learned that early on. not long after dawn, she would slide out of the bed as quiet as she could, then slowly pad her way around the little hut as she got ready, slipping out the door before her partner noticed. she was good at it; he usually slept right through it, but one morning he’d watched her, just to smile at how cute she was when she was trying to be sneaky. he wanted to go back to bed, with no desire to wake up at such an early hour… but he couldn’t fall back asleep without grabbing her wrist as she walked past the bed (making her jump a foot high), and then stealing a kiss before she left. she was more than happy to comply. and then, moments after she was out the door, he was back asleep, dead to the world while Yuna was wide awake, taking care of various chores and duties around the village…

which is why it surprised him to find her sleeping beside him one morning, when he woke for blitz practice– _much_ later than she usually did. he didn’t think much of it, assuming she wanted to sleep in for once, and if this was the case, he wasn’t going to bother her. she definitely **needed** the break, always overworking herself for others' sake. he stretched out in the sheets, yawned, and then threw the blankets off of him (careful not to rip them from Yuna.) he supposed _he_ would be the one trying to creep quietly around the hut this morning! as he turned away from her to move, he was surprised– a hand touched his back– _cold_.

he was about to look back at her, but before he could react, her touch turned into a grasp. “ can you… stay with me? ” her voice was soft, but adamant. timid, but also strong.

he completely melted. blitzball practice? what was that? he didn’t seem to remember or care anymore, falling back into the bed with a smile. she wasted no time, curling up against his back, an arm draping over his side. his hand reached for hers, pressing a kiss to her fingers in reply. she nuzzled her cheek against him slowly and warmly, and as much as the affection touched his heart, there was an edge to it, too– something that cut deeply at him.

he didn’t have to ask why she was in bed anymore; he knew why. she was _worried_. the fear he would disappear was something they both struggled with at times. for him, it was stronger when he’d first returned, but lessened as time went on. back then, yuna had always comforted him. it seemed as though she wasn’t worried: she would have been grateful for any time at all by his side– though obviously, the longer the better. but now… _she_ was the one afflicted with worries. the more time they spent together, the closer they grew, the more painful became the reality of what **losing** him would mean. Yuna, the bravest, strongest person he knew… was scared.

they lie comfortably in the quiet for awhile, trying to wait for the moment to pass, like they usually did. but the feeling building in his chest (love mixed with sad mixed with anxious mixed with a little of _everything_ , really) grew to be too much for him to bear in silence. he turned around, facing her, and her lowered eyes rose to meet his serious look; hers uncertain, and apologetic. “Yuna… you know that I’m not going anywhere, right?”

she nodded. “I know…” of course she did… he wouldn’t go anywhere by **choice**. but what if he _had_ no choice in the matter? if it was dictated by some power, some magic beyond his or her control. she couldn’t voice the words, though. they were painful enough to think, and agonizing to speak aloud.

it was obvious that despite her affirmation, she wasn’t comforted. at all. this seemed deeper than her usual nervousness, which was calmed by him just _being there_ , solid, and real… he frowned, a palm grazing her cheek. “hey…” she looked up again, meeting bright blues. she looked skeptical, like she already knew what he was going to say. and she was **right** – he could do nothing but make the same promises to her again: always. forever. not going anywhere… it was really all the same. but the fact was, no matter how much he said that, and how confidently he believed it… he didn’t _know_ it was true. it was what he wanted to believe; not a fact. if the Fayth stopped dreaming tomorrow, he might just up and leave again, and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop that. and that was a paralyzing thought. he swallowed. his throat felt hoarse and his voice broken when he finally spoke again. “Yuna, I… I know I always tell you everything’s gonna be okay, but… I don’t **know** that. I don’t know what’s gonna happen today, or tomorrow, or in another two years…” _that_ was the truth. it was hard, and it hurt to force the words from his own mouth after so many assurances to her that they it was all going to be just fine. but they’d both been through way too much to keep pretending every story had a happy ending…

but theirs definitely had a good beginning. and middle– or wherever they were at. and even if he wasn’t authoring every part of it, he _intended_ ฯto keep their story a happy one, in whatever way he could, for as long as possible. “… maybe some things are out of our hands, yeah, but I promise that anything thay tries to come between us is gonna have a _really_ hard time… right?” he squeezed her hands tightly, hoping for a small smile, at least.

he came close; she gave the tiniest of laughs. “you’re right. we’ll always try to find each other. no matter what happens.”

“right! and there’s not a lot of things that can beat the best summoner spira’s ever had, _so_ …” she gave him a look for his flattery, but he just smiled. it was **true**! “so I really mean it when I say I don’t think anything can keep us apart. I’m not just saying it...”

_finally_... a smile. she nodded, more sure this time. "I believe you.” 

he felt a sigh of relief escape him, glad that she was finally finding some peace. “okay, good…” he closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. 

she relaxed too, tenderly brushing his messy morning hair away from his eyes. (well, it was always messy, but especially now.) “I’m sorry for making you late to practice…” 

he shrugged, content right where he was. “it’s fine. we can stay here all day if you want...” he peeked an eye open at her, looking slightly mischievous. “you know, if you need the reassurance…” 

she giggled, poking at his chest harshly, and giggled harder at the way he hissed and whined from the jab. “I’m alright now, _thank you” her voice was deceptively sweet, despite the sarcasm._

“ _owww_... okay, geez! sorry for worrying about you!” he tried not to laugh; he didn’t actually mind the attack at all. at least she felt better. she would probably be back to her normal, busybody self again, and go flit around town making sure everybody else was taken care of, too. and that meant back to the grind for him… training a bunch of sweaty, flabby Aurochs. _hurrah_. 

… but she didn’t slide out from under the sheets. in fact, she nestled closer, laying her head against his chest with a happy sigh. **he** definitely wasn’t complaining, pulling her close, and toying with loose strands of brunette hair. it was longer now than even when they first met. for a long time, they were comfortable with the closeness and lightly wandering hands, but finally, Tidus _had_ to break the silence. he never could stand quiet for long. “so… we’re staying in today?” 

she hummed in thought. she had a **lot** to do. people were waiting on her. the temple would be wondering where their high summoner was. and the village healers might have a crazy day without her help… but she _always_ put them first. for just one day, she decided the rest of the world could wait. her answer came first in the form of a soft kiss, planted on unsuspecting lips. “yes. stay with me?” 

he smiled, feeling the usual, expected answer coming on. after all, _sometimes_ it was okay to be corny and say cliche things just to make your girl feel better; you just had to be sure it was the right occasion for it! and he couldn't think of a better time, nor place, than having a romantic day-in with the girl he loved more than anything. “… _always_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show a lil character development for them both. Tidus: not just saying cheesy ass platitudes and making promises but actually THINKING about what he’s saying and the impact of his words. I noticed he's quite free with his promises of forever in ffx but just a tad bit more wary during the perfect ending and I wanted to show that! And yuna is putting her own wants before that of the world. Our babies are growing up!!!!!


End file.
